1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming a crease in a cloth and, more particularly, to providing a crease in cloth of a permanent nature such that the crease is capable of withstanding repeated laundering and steam pressing without degradation to the esthetic appearance as part of a garment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While not so limited, the present invention is particularly useful for forming a decorative type crease, such as a military crease, in cloth before the cloth is sewn to form any of various types of clothing/garments. Uniforms worn by military personnel, police, firefighter and other personnel imparting an image of distinctive dress codes are provided with ornate crease lines usually extending vertically along the front and back portions of a shirt with the creases ending short of the shirt yoke and the shirt tails.
In the past, the creases were formed by forming fold lines in a starched laden garment and then steam pressing the garment along each of the fold lines. The forming of creases in this matter required multiple pressing operations, one pressing operation for each crease line. Creases in cloth are also commonly found in trousers, skirts particularly pleated skirts, blouses and dresses. To achieve a more permanent nature of the crease lines, it is known to sew the cloths along fold lines which is very labor intensive requiring skilled seamstress and therefore represents an added element of cost.
It is also known to provide crease lines in cloth of a permanent nature by manually applying a stream of liquid material, such as silicone, to the cloth along a valley formed by a crease line in the cloth. A workman first forms a crease line in the cloth then applies the stream of liquid solvent-based material and repeats this process to achieve a desired number of crease lines. A liquid solvent-based filler material is available with physical properties providing the capability of withstanding temperatures of 400 degrees F. without melting. The required manipulative steps in the manual process of forming crease lines and applying filler material is labor intensive without an effective quality control. A need therefore exists for a method and apparatus to establish creases in cloth with long continued integrity, accuracy and without degradation to the esthetic appearance during the useful life of the apparel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to crease a displaced part of a cloth while supported in a stable manner along a course and then unfold marginal portions of the cloth while supporting the cloth along the crease line so that the marginal portions expose the crease line while a filler strip is applied along the crease line.
It is a further object of the present invention to crease a first displaced part of cloth while supported in a stable manner along a course followed by displacing and creasing a second and if desired a third displaced part of the cloth and then unfold marginal portions of the cloth adjoining each of the crease lines and then support the cloth along each crease line so that the marginal portions exposed the crease lines while an elongated bead of filler material is applied to each crease line.